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Results tagged ‘ Derek Norris ’

Ed. Note: Here at Curly W Live, we will be taking a closer look at some of the top up-and-coming prospects in the Nationals farm system throughout the 2012 season. Make sure to vote in our poll at the end of this article to help determine which player we will profile next.

There have been plenty of heralded prospects making their way up the ranks of the Nationals farm system over the last few years. Strong, talent-rich drafts have stocked Washington’s minor league affiliates to the point that prior to the Gio Gonzalez trade – which sent four of the club’s top 13-rated prospects to the Oakland Athletics – Baseball America had the Nationals ranked as the top overall minor league system in the game heading into 2012. Even after that deal, there are plenty of big names left, led of course by Bryce Harper. Those who keep their eyes on the minors will get their first glimpse of the likes of Anthony Rendon and the first regular season action for Matt Purke, who made his professional debut in the Arizona Fall League. These few will dominate the headlines, but we begin this season’s slate with one of the most promising power hitters in the system, Tyler Moore.

Moore sizes up a blast while with Potomac in 2010. (Steve Mihelerakis)

At the minor league level, where seasons are shorter and younger players are still filling out their athletic frames, large power totals are rare. In fact, only 15 minor leaguers hit 30 or more home runs in 2011, and only two have turned the trick in each of the last two years. The first name may ring a bell: Paul Goldschmidt. He was the rookie phenom who, after swatting 35 longballs for Double-A Mobile, was called up in September and played a key role in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ run to the National League West crown. The other player was Moore, a soft-spoken first baseman who, even after such an impressive two-year run, still does not appear in Baseball America’s top 10 prospect list for the Nationals.

Ranking or no ranking, that kind of power will earn you some respect and, in Moore’s case, some investment from the organization. The slugger was added to the 40-Man Roster in November, along with Eury Perez, Jhonatan Solano and the recently traded Derek Norris, to prevent him from being selected by another club in the annual Rule V Draft.

“This was his protection year,” explained Doug Harris, the Nationals Director of Player Development. “With power being a premium in today’s game, we felt like it was an easy decision for us.”

While Harris was not yet with the organization back when Moore first came into the system, he saw him as an opposing player while Harris was with the Cleveland Indians and Moore was at Low-A Hagerstown in 2008.

“As an opposing scout watching him, he was a guy that could always impact the baseball,” recalled Harris. “When he was in Hagerstown, it was really pole-to-pole power. Really his best power was to right-center, which is a true indicator of a guy who has a chance to come into bigger power down the road. So you saw glimpses of it, and I think a lot of the doubles he hit in Hagerstown got turned into home runs over the last couple of years.”

Moore slides feet first into second. (Steve Mihelerakis)

After hitting 30 two-baggers but just nine home runs in 111 games at Hagerstown in 2009, Moore got off to a rough start his next season at High-A Potomac. In 79 games through July 12, he had collected 47 RBI, but was batting just .191. Moore made an adjustment, though, and turned his season around completely. Over his final 50 contests, he went a staggering 76-for-193 (.394) with 21 home runs and 64 RBI. He would go on to lead the Carolina League in home runs (31), RBI (111), doubles (43), slugging percentage (.552), extra-base hits (77) and total bases (277), earning both league MVP honors and the Nationals Organizational Player of the Year. Moore put together another impressive campaign last year in the pitcher-friendly Eastern League, where he matched his home run total of 31, and again lead the league in RBI, extra-base hits and total bases.

In fact, in 189 games played since his remarkable turnaround, the 6’2”, 210-pound righty has swatted 52 home runs and driven in 154.

“When you break down the 2010 season that he had at Potomac…he really came into his own in the second half,” explained Harris. “It’s a credit to him. He’s a tireless worker, he never wavered in his approach or his intent day-to-day, and it really speaks volumes about who he is.”

Like many sluggers with such impressive power numbers, Moore also racks up his fair share of strikeouts, averaging 125 K’s over the past three seasons. However, he has also batted a very respectable .277 over that same stretch and it’s hard to argue with the run production.

Clearly, the Nationals have seen something in Moore’s potential ever since he was just a prep player at Northwest Rankin High School in Brandon, Mississippi. They actually drafted him on three separate occasions: in the 41st round straight out of high school in 2005, in the 33rd round after a year at Meridian Junior College in 2006, and finally in the 16th round after two years at Mississippi State in 2008. Moore signed at last, and has spent each of the last four seasons at a different level of the farm system, slowly playing his way up to Double-A in 2011. Now, as he enters his first big league camp in Florida, Moore will face new pressures and expectations from the Nationals staff. So, just how high is Moore’s ceiling?

Moore's power continued at Harrisburg in 2011. (Will Bentzel)

“I think a lot of that is really up to Tyler,” said Harris. “He’s obviously put together two very productive years back-to-back. He’s going to be given an opportunity at a higher level and a chance to continue to show what he’s capable of doing. I know that our Major League staff is excited to get a glimpse of him in Spring Training.”

As for how Moore will respond to the challenge, Harris is not worried.

“Tyler is a very high-character young man, a tremendous teammate,” said Harris. “He’s an early-to-the-ballpark kind of guy. He blends with every mix of player. He’s a quiet leader, not a big-time vocal leader, but he’s got a great presence and he’s very well-liked amongst his teammates.”

Those traits should serve him well, as Harris suggested that the coaching staff may try Moore out at several defensive positions to see where he can best fit into the Nationals’ future plans. Originally drafted as a third baseman, he has played exclusively at first base (or been a designated hitter) in his 448 career minor league games. Harris said the staff has tried him in the outfield a bit as well, and that they will continue to “kick the tires” on that experiment moving forward. Either way, it will just be one more adjustment, something Moore has shown that he’s good at making.

“There’s an adjustment period going to a new level each year,” said Harris. “I know that he’s preparing himself to be ready to go out of the gate this year. He’s a kid that’s had to earn everything he’s got.”

While Moore seems destined for Syracuse in April, if he is able to find similar success at the Triple-A level in 2012 as he has the past two years, fans in the District may get a glimpse of him before the year is out.

Yep,
I am now a week into a professional blogging career. It has been fun and find
that my mind rarely shuts down. Let’s see what we can share from today’s
festivities from the Nationals Training Complex in Viera, Fla. As you may
remember, today was the final day where only pitchers and catchers engaged in
formal workouts.

*
Long before the baseball day got started, Nationals position players had their
2011 physicals. Everyone reading this blog should get an annual physical, but
let me tell you that the physical you are used to is but a distant cousin of
the physical that the players had to partake in. No one was spared. During an
approximately 90-minute visit, eye charts were shared, reflexes were tested,
EKGs administered, x-rays were revealed and overbites examined. All in the name
of creating a baseline with which the Nationals’ outstanding athletic training
staff can use as the season progresses. Of course, we are all hoping for an
injury-free 2011 campaign, but realistically we know it won’t be. That is why
the data gathered today will help us monitor, treat and expose our players to
the finest medical practices available.

*
Say hello to Bryce Harper. Yes, #34 showed up today and joined his
position-player brethren for the last informal batting practice session of the
spring. Harper’s arrival created an instant buzz among the assembled media
(look for footage on either CSN Washington or WJLA-7 tonight) and hundreds of
fans in attendance, including tons of kids out of school for Presidents Day. Harper
handled himself very well. He shagged flies in right field and shared the
batting cage with 1B Chris Marrero and INF Brian Bixler. Harper will likely be
compared to Stephen Strasburg for a long time. But one of the main differences
is that we don’t have to wait five more days for Harper to reemerge. He’ll jump
in that same cage tomorrow and continue to hone his hitting craft, which is
arguably the toughest skill in sport to master.

*
Interesting drill of the day: the Nationals practiced the wild pitch with a
runner on third base. Huh? Nationals pitchers feigned their pitching deliveries
then charged hard toward home plate. While in full sprint, the pitcher called
out either “3,” “1,” or “4” to the catcher (1B Coach Dan Radison in this
instance). This verbal cue tells the catcher which side of the plate the pitch
in the dirt scooted off to. “1” is the first base side. “3” is the third base
side. “4” is directly behind the plate. The pitchers were then instructed on
how to break down/decelerate during their approach to the plate and not expose
themselves to injury while fielding the throw (from Radison) and applying the
tag. All in all, not terribly exciting. But this drill might just garner an
extra out or two this season, and that could be the difference between a 3-2
win and a 4-3 setback. You just never know.

*
We enjoyed getting to know Cole Kimball yesterday. Well, today was his third
bullpen session of the spring. Let’s just say that Kimball’s “mitt pop” is tops
on the team. Kimball is from New Jersey, but I would describe him as “country
strong.” And he uses everything he has when on the mound. But my guess is that
when he does arrive at Nationals Park, the fans in the Lexus Presidents Club
will know when he has entered the game.

Favorite
Team/Player as a Youth?: Royals, George Brett (I suspect this is the answer of
any Royals fan from Kansas)Favorite Game Show of all-time?: The Price is Right (I am glad Derek offered up
an old-school game show)Favorite Superhero?: Superman (I should have asked him Christopher Reeves or
Dean Cain)Most apt to watch CNN, Food Network or Travel Channel (and list favorite
show)?: Food Network. I have to go with Cupcake Wars.

*
Special thanks to Mike Gazda and Bill Gluvna for their help today. Oh, and the
weather was again STRONG today. Highs in the low 80s with a slightly stronger
breeze than we’ve seen to date. We were VERY comfortable. Come join us. You are
always welcome.

There are 13 days left before the Nationals’ pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in Viera, Fla. That means there isn’t a better time to look at impact prospects in the Nationals system than now. We won’t rank them–ESPN’s Keith Law did that for us. It is hard enough to rank the Super Bowl teams, and there are just two, let alone the Top 10 Nationals prospects. It is the type of arbitrary system that if ten people ranked them, there would be ten different results. That’s just how it works.

Here is the Nationals’ Top 10 Prospects:

1- OF Bryce Harper: Harper became a household name when he was anointed by Sports Illustrated as “Baseball’s Chosen One” as a 16-year-old sophomore in high school. He has lived up to the lofty expectations in his short professional career too. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft from the College of Southern Nevada, moved to right field during the Instructional League and proved he can play there in the Arizona Fall League. He faced the top pitching prospects in the AFL and hit .343/.410/.629 with one home run in 35 at-bats as a taxi-squad player. The brazen 18-year-old with superstar potential was possibly the most-hyped prospect in Draft history, besting teammate Stephen Strasburg. He won’t be in the Majors in 2011 but don’t ever count him out for buzz-worthy quotes or memorable made-up words like “oppo-boppo.”

2- C Derek Norris: It was an interesting 2010 year for Norris to say the least. The Nats top catching prospect with a Russell Martin like build and playing style enjoyed his first Big League camp after he broke his hamate bone in 2009. But he then missed the first month of the 2010 season due to complications from surgery. Shortly after he returned to action, he was sidelined again when he was hit in the head with a 95 mph fastball. He never fully recovered until the Arizona Fall League. He hit .278 (15-for-54) with 19 RBI, 11 walks and a .403 on-base percentage in the AFL. The 22-year-old is a beast at the plate with a short, strong and compact swing with power to all fields and has led his league in walks each of the past seasons.

3- C Wilson Ramos: The 6-foot-0, 220 pound Ramos is built like a linebacker and has legs like Secretariat. He will enter the spring as part of the Nats’ catching platoon with Rodriguez, much like how they rotated starts in September, but he could become the No. 1 catcher by midseason. He led Aragua to the Venezuelan Winter League finals, batting .296 with seven doubles, a triple, two home runs and 21 RBI in 24 games.

4- RHP AJ Cole: Cole was drafted in the fourth round in the 2010 Draft out of Oviedo (Fla.) High School. He has the potential to be a frontline starter and could move fairly quickly for a high school draftee. His fastball has touched the mid-to-upper 90s, and he continues to master a solid curveball. His change-up may be a work in progress, but shows promising potential. He will likely start the season with Single-A Hagerstown.

5- SS Danny Espinosa: He is a switch hitter who can hit for power to both sides of the field. He is a sound defensive player too. He played shortstop at Long Beach State–a shortstop factory–and was drafted in 2008 and continued to play the position until he was converted into a second baseman when he was called up to Triple-A Syracuse in August. It was an inevitable move for him with the Nationals knowing full well it wouldn’t be long before he arrived in the Big Leagues where Ian Desmond was already proving his potential as the Nationals’ shortstop of the future. Despite the change of position, Espinosa has excelled and his days as a shortstop seem to have only strengthened his ability to play with speed and agility.

6- LHP Sammy Solis: The 2010 Draft will always be about Bryce Harper, but don’t sleep on Solis. He was the 51st overall selection in last year’s Draft out of the University of San Diego and he signed two days before the Aug. 16 deadline. He was impressive against older competition in the Arizona Fall League and posted a 3.80 ERA in 24 innings. He will likely start the season at Single-A Potomac and could arrive in DC sometime next season.

7- OF Eury Perez: Perez adjusted well to Single-A ball and showed signs of improvement throughout the summer months. The 20-year-old athletic center fielder has plus-speed and he utilizes it both defensively, at the plate and on the base paths. He finished second in the Minors with 64 steals and succeeded at an 83 percent rate, up from 67 percent in 2009. He will likely start the season at Single-A Potomac.

8- LHP Robbie Ray: Ray is another high school pitching gem from the 2010 Draft. The 12th-round pick from Tennessee –slightly misleading because it was assumed he had a strong commitment to pitch at the University of Arkansas which hurt his Draft stock–pitched one inning for the short-season Vermont Lake Monsters. He will likely start the season with Single-A Hagerstown.

9- 1B Chris Marrero: Marrero was ranked No. 1 on Baseball America’s list entering the 2008 season but he broke the fibula in his right leg and tore ligaments in his ankle on a slide at home plate. After recovering, he turned in a solid Double-A performance in 2010 to claim a spot on Washington’s 40-man roster. Marrero hit .306 and impressed his Manager, Pat Listach, with his defense in the Puerto Rican League playing with teammate and friend Danny Espinosa. He is becoming a more consistent overall hitter. He was selected to the Eastern League All-Star team and showcased his plus-raw power by finishing second in the Home Run Derby, hitting 13 home runs in two rounds. He will likely start the season in Triple-A Syracuse.

10- OF Destin Hood: Hood had a nice April to start out the 2010 season and is beginning to see the fruits of his hard labor. He came to Spring Training last season in tremendous shape determined to succeed on the field, at the plate and on the base paths. Destin possesses well-above-average raw power and is working to improve his command of the strike zone by creating a consistent approach at the plate. The 20-year-old Hood is one of the younger prospects in the organization. He has shown tremendous strides in the past year batting .285 (140-for-492) with 65 RBI in 129 games with Single-A Hagerstown.

Baseball America has a slightly different ranking–don’t we all–but Harper is the unanimous No. 1.

Top 10 Prospects 2011

1. Bryce Harper, of

2. Derek Norris, c

3. Danny Espinosa, ss/2b

4. A.J. Cole, rhp

5. Wilson Ramos, c

6. Sammy Solis, lhp

7. Cole Kimball, rhp

8. Eury Perez, of

9. Chris Marrero, 1b

10. Brad Peacock, rhp

In case you forgot or never knew… here are the rankings for the past few seasons. You can use it to discredit the ranking system or use it as proof to show just how hard it is to turn potential into Major League results.

All the hype surrounded Nationals first round pick Ross Detwiler after the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. Fourth round pick Derek Norris went under the radar. He can’t hide any longer. He made a name for himself this season and was named the Nationals 2009 Minor League Player of the Year.

He joins Justin Maxwell (2007) and Leonard Davis (2008) as past recipients of the award. The Goddard, Kansas native, Norris turned down a scholarship to play at Wichita State and signed with the Nationals in 2007. He immediately become one of the Nationals top catching prospects. He hit .286 with 30 doubles, 23 home runs, 84 RBI and 78 runs scored in 126 games with the Single-A Hagerstown Suns this season. He paced full-season Washington farmhands in home runs, walks (90), on-base percentage (.413), slugging percentage (.513) and OPS (.926). He was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League but fractured his left hamate bone while working out in the Instructional League.

He is built like Russell Martin, a short, stocky catcher with a powerful stroke at the plate. He doesn’t have a time table for making it to the Majors, as those never seem to go as planned anyway. He will likely start the 2010 campaign with the Single-A Potomac Nationals and he has no intention on switching positions.

“No, I’m not looking to change any positions,” Norris said. “I know my numbers look a little shaky at times, as far as passed balls and errors but I think that if I keep progressing from year to year I’ll achieve what I want to achieve.”

The Player of the Year award adds to the laundry list of accolades the 20-year-old received in 2009. The right-handed hitting slugger earned both midseason and postseason South Atlantic League All-Star honors. Norris was named the SAL Most Outstanding Major League Prospect. He was recently cited in Baseball America‘s annual Best Tools survey voted upon by league managers as the Best Batting Prospect and Best Power Prospect in the SAL. While this was a banner year for Norris, there are many more accolades to come in his baseball career.

All the hype was around first round pick Ross Detwiler after the 2007 First-Year Player Draft for the Nationals. Fourth round pick Derek Norris (right) and fifth rounder Brad Meyers (left) went under the radar. They’re not under the radar anymore. The two of them made a name for themselves with the impressive numbers they produced this year.

The 2009 Minor League season is in the books and the awards have been handed out. The Nationals named Norris, a catcher, as their Minor League Player of the Year and Meyers, a right-handed pitcher, as their Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

They join John Lannan (2007), Jordan Zimmermann (2008), Justin Maxwell (2007) and Leonard Davis (2008) as past recipients of the awards. Three of the four are with the Nationals right now and Davis finished the season with the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs.

The Goddard, Kansas native, Norris turned down a scholarship to play at Wichita State and signed with the Nationals in 2007. He hit .286 with 30 doubles, 23 home runs, 84 RBI and 78 runs scored in 126 games with the Single-A Hagerstown Suns this season. He paced full-season Washington farmhands in home runs, walks (90), on-base percentage (.413), slugging percentage (.513) and OPS (.926).

The player of the year award adds to the laundry list of accolades the 20-year-old has received this year. The right-handed hitting slugger earned both midseason and postseason South Atlantic League All-Star honors. Last week, Norris was named the SAL Most Outstanding Major League Prospect. He was recently cited in Baseball America‘s annual Best Tools survey voted upon by league managers as the Best Batting Prospect and Best Power Prospect in the SAL.

On the award: I actually came up here the other day to get an x-ray for my finger and I was sitting, had a ticket to the game, and [Mark] Scialabba [Assistant Director, Player Development] came up and [Mike] Rizzo and Bob Boone were sitting there and we were just talking about the results of the x-ray and they went ahead and told me. So they told me to come back on Tuesday and not go back home yet. I haven’t really put too much thought into it. It’s been a long season so the only thing on my mind was getting out of Hagerstown and going home. It’s nice to get an award for something. You work hard and it’s nice to be rewarded for something like that.

Life in the Minor Leagues: It’s tough. You pick up different things, kind of funny things that guys do that actually work. I heard about a guy who brought one of those little chairs you put in pools, the little blow up chairs, they put that in the aisles [of the bus on long bus rides], I guess some people do that. We tried it and it ended up working all right so it wasn’t too bad.

Key to improving each year: Just sticking with the same approach and not trying to do too much, especially when you get in hitters’ counts. From the hitting aspect, you know you get in hitters’ counts, it’s most likely they’re going to have to throw something out over the plate, they’re not going to be able to nitpick the corners. So not trying to do too much with something, just taking what’s given to you.

On the Arizona Fall League: It’s the best of the best. It’s going to be nice to play against the best of the best and play at that competition level.There’sso much hype about Strasburg, it’s going to be kind of nice to meet somebody with that kind of arm. [Danny] Espinosa and [Chris] Marrero are two great ballplayers and I’m excited to be playing with them too.

On catching in the Pros: No, I’m not looking to change any positions. I think with continuous work and effort put towards catching I think I can achieve what I want to achieve behind the plate. And I know it looks a little shaky, my numbers, as far as passed balls and errors and stuff but I think that if I keep progressing from year to year I’ll achieve what I want to achieve.

Major League role model: [Matt] LeCroy and I were talking, he sees me as a Russell Martin type. Not a [Joe] Mauer though, he’s a freak of nature. No one can just go out there and hit .380 every year. I don’t see myself doing that. But if anything, Russell Martin would be my guy I idolize a lot.

What did you learn from LeCroy: Anything and everything. He’s a great guy. He has a lot of knowledge. And being a guy that caught and played a lot of positions as well, he knows the game from more than just behind the plate. So he was a great guy to have, he was a really great manager to have.

Meyers was drafted in the 14th round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft by the Mets but decided to attend Loyola Marymount (CA) University. He was drafted in 2007 by the Nats. He has the prototypical projectable pitcher’s body at 6-foot-6 with a fastball in the low to mid 90s. He went 9-7 with a 4.79 ERA with the Suns in 2008. He was brilliant in 2009. He started throwing all his pitches for strikes and went a combined 11-3 with a 1.72 ERA in 24 games (23 starts) with Double-A Harrisburg and Single-A Potomac. Meyers led all full-season Minor League pitchers with a microscopic 1.72 ERA and allowed two earned runs or less 20 of 23 starts (87%) this season.

The 24-year-old went 5-1 with a 2.25 ERA (12 ER/48.0 IP) and a 3.9/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (43 K/11 BB) in nine starts with Harrisburg. Prior to his July 7 promotion to Harrisburg, Meyers dominated the Carolina League, going 6-2 with a league-best 1.43 ERA (14 ER/88.1 IP) in 15 games (14 starts) with Potomac. He was selected as a midseason Carolina League All-Star and was a two time MiLB.com Carolina League Pitcher of the Week honors (May 4-10 and June 29-July 5).

On the award: It was awesome. I didn’t really expect it but and it’s nice to get an award. Obviously coming out here and standing out there for batting practice and just kind of taking the tour around here. So it’s been good. Igot the call a couple of days ago, I was kind of surprised. I was all set and ready to go home and they told me to come up here and I was pretty excited.

Life in the Minor Leagues: The toughest thing is that everything is temporary. You don’t know what you’re doing, where you’re going to be, from day to day, always sleeping in hotels and that. It’s been a good experience though.

Biggest difference between ’08 and ’09: Just repeating a consistent delivery. I started using my legs this year, got some help from the pitching coach down in Potomac. Just got my mechanics better and threw all my pitches for strikes this year.

On walking people: That’s kind of a pet peeve of mine–don’t walk people and force contact. I try to make hitters put it into play. Usually things go good when I’m doing that.

Timetable for the pros: There’s really no timetable and if you do put a timetable on it… that’s just going to make it tougher for you, more pressure. But you basically just go out and get better every day. That’s your ultimate goal to get to the Big Leagues. Whatever happens, happens and hopefully the sooner the better.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Nationals Minor League report is a weekly window into the Nationals farm teams, with updated standings, league leaders, team and individual player stats, and the latest team and player news.

This Week’s Top Headline

The GCL Nationals defeated the GCL Marlins, 3-1, today in Game One of the best-of-three GCL championship series. 3B Yeurys Tejeda went 2-for-4 en route to driving in all three runs for the Nationals. RHP Shane McCatty, son of Nationals Pitching Coach Steve McCatty, was credited with the win. LHP Josh Smoker started and allowed one run in 5.0 innings of work.

Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs

International League North Division

73-64, 2nd Place, 4.5 Games Back

SS Ian Desmond is hitting a combined .325 with 23 doubles, three triples, seven homers, 30 RBI and 21 stolen bases in 90 games with Syracuse and Double-A Harrisburg. He is batting.346 (53-for-153) with 11 doubles, two triples, one homer, 12 RBI, 18 walks and eight stolen bases in 48 games since being promoted to Syracuse on July 16. In 42 contests with Harrisburg, he collected 52 hits, including 19 of the extra-base variety (12 doubles, one triple, six home runs). Desmond was the franchise’s 3rd-round pick in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft.

LHP Ross Detwiler is 3-0 with a 1.56 ERA (4 ER/23.0 IP) in his last four starts. In nine Triple-A starts, Detwiler is 3-2 with a 3.05 ERA (15 ER/44.1 IP). He has struck out 41 and walked 16 with the Chiefs. Detwiler went 0-5 with a 6.40 ERA in 10 games at the Big League level with Washington before being optioned to Syracuse on July 12.

RHP Drew Storen has fired scoreless ball in 11.0 innings of work and recorded a save in each of his nine appearances since joining the Senators on August 11. Before reaching Double-A, Storen went 1-0 with two saves and a 1.80 ERA (2 ER/10.0 IP) in seven Carolina League games with Potomac. Prior to joining the P-Nats on July 19, he struck out 26 and did not walk a batter in 14.2 innings (11 games) with Single-A Hagerstown. Overall, the Stanford University product has fanned 46 and walked just 8 in 35.2 combined innings (27 appearances) with Harrisburg, Potomac and Hagerstown.

RHP Brad Meyers is a combined 10-2 with a 1.65 ERA in 22 games (21 starts) with Harrisburg and Potomac. He has allowed no more than one earned run in 17 of those contests. In seven starts during his first career stint at the Double-A level, he is 4-0 with a 2.19 ERA (9 ER/37.0 IP). At the time of his promotion to Harrisburg on July 7, he was 6-2 with a Carolina League-leading 1.43 ERA (14 ER/88.1 IP) in 15 games (14 starts) with Potomac. He was selected in the 5th round of the 2007 Draft out of Loyola Marymount University (CA).

RHP Drew Storen – fired scoreless ball in 11.0 innings of work and recorded a save in each of his nine appearances.

LHP Atahualpa Severino – went 5-0 with two saves and did not allow an earned run over 13.1 innings (9 games).

Single-A Potomac Nationals

Carolina League Northern Division

First Half: 37-30, 2nd Place, 3.0 Games Back

Second Half: 39-25, 2nd Place, 2.5 Games Back

After hitting just .219 (21-for-96) in 27 games during July, SS Danny Espinosa is batting .316 (30-for-95) in his last 28 games. Espinosa paces the Carolina League with 88 runs scored and ranks among the league leaders in walks (2nd, 71) and OBP (5th, .375). Espinosa entered the season as the Best Defensive Infielder among Nationals prospects according to Baseball America. He was selected in the 3rd round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of Long Beach State University (CA).

Including 7.0 shutout innings of three-hit ball on Sunday at Kinston (Indians), LHP Tom Milone has won six of his last seven starts. In those seven starts, the 22-year-old has allowed just seven earned runs in 43.1 innings (1.45 ERA). Milone, a product of the University of Southern California baseball program, is 11-5 with a 3.08 ERA in 26 games (24 starts) overall. He was selected in the 10th round of the ’08 Draft.

LHP Tom Milone – in six starts, went 5-1 with a 1.49 ERA (6 ER/36.1 IP).

Single-A Hagerstown Suns

South Atlantic League Northern Division

First Half: 31-36, T-6th Place, 10.5 Games Back

Second Half: 22-39, 8th Place, 18.0 Games Back

Earlier this week, the South Atlantic League named C Derek Norris as its Most Outstanding Major League Prospect. Additionally, Norris has earned both mid-season and postseason SAL All-Star honors. Norris leads the league in total bases (222), walks (86) and on-base percentage (.414). His 23 home runs and 84 RBI both rank second in the league. The 20-year-old paces all catchers in professional baseball in homers and RBI. He has reached base safely via hit (123), walk (86) or HBP (8) 217 times in 122 games (1.77 times per contest) He entered the season rated as the No. 6 prospect and top overall catching prospect in Washington’s system by Baseball America.

2B Stephen Lombardozzi earned his first career All-Star selection after he was named as an SAL postseason All-Star earlier this week. Lombardozzi, 20, ranks second in the league with 82 runs scored, and is tied for second in hits with 140. In 121 games overall, he is hitting .296 with 26 doubles, seven triples, three homers and 56 RBI. Lombardozzi was a 19th-round pick in the 2008 Draft out of St. Petersburg JC (FL).

RHP Juan Jamie – posted a 3-1 record with a 2.74 ERA (7 ER/23.0 IP) in six games (5 starts).

Short-Season Single-A Vermont Lake Monsters

New York-Penn League Stedler Division

31-38, 3rd Place, 9.0 Games Back

In 18 games as a pro, LHP Evan Bronson has allowed just three earned runs in 45.2 innings (0.59 ERA). He is a perfect 4-for-4 in save opportunities. Bronson, a 2009 NY-Penn League All-Star, has recorded 37 strikeouts against just three walks (12.3/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio). He has limited opponents to a .160 batting average against along the way. The southpaw has worked 2.0 or more innings of relief in 16 of his 18 appearances. Bronson was drafted by the Nationals in the 29th round of the 2009 Draft out of Trinity College (TX).

LHP Evan Bronson – went 1-0 with three saves and did not allow an earned run in eight appearances.

Gulf Coast League Nationals

Gulf Coast League East Division

36-19, 2nd Place, 2.0 Games Back – Wild Card Champions

OF Eury Perez won the GCL batting title with a .381 batting average and led the league with 69 hits. Perez ended the regular season riding a 27-game hitting streak, hitting .486 (48-for-110) during the tear. The 19-year-old hit safely in 40 of 47 games overall while playing error-free ball along the way.

LHP Dan Rosenbaum started and tossed 6.0 shutout innings of two-hit ball in yesterday’s 1-0, 12-inning GCL semi-final victory over the GCL Twins. In 11 games (eight starts) during the regular season, he went 4-1 with a 1.95 ERA and a 4.2/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (38 K/9 BB). Rosenbaum was a 22nd-round selection in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft.

Organizational Player and Pitcher of the Month – August

OF Eury Perez – hit .434 (43-for-99), tallying three doubles, two homers, 16 RBI and six steals in 25 contests.

LHP Dan Rosenbaum – in four starts, went 3-0 with a 1.29 (3 ER/21.0 IP), striking out 22 and walking four.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Nationals Minor League report is a weekly window into the Nationals farm teams, with updated standings, league leaders, team and individual player stats, and the latest team and player news.

This Week’s Top Headline

Nationals prospects ­­- SS Danny Espinosa (14 HR in Carolina League, played in ’09 MLB Futures Game), 1B Chris Marrero (.294, 16 HR, 70 RBI with Double-A Harrisburg and Single-A Potomac), C Derek Norris (leads WAS system with 23 HR and 78 RBI), RHP Drew Storen (2.20 ERA, 6.14/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio at 3 levels, currently with Harrisburg) and RHP Stephen Strasburg (top overall selection in ’09 Draft) – will play for the Phoenix Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League. Washington prospects will join farmhands from the Baltimore Orioles, Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays on the Desert Dogs roster. Additionally, Harrisburg Head Athletic Trainer Atsushi Toriida will serve as one of the trainers for the Desert Dogs. The AFL, regarded throughout professional baseball as the “finishing school” for Major League Baseball’s top prospects, begins its 18th season on Tuesday, October 13.

Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs

International League North Division

69-61, 2nd Place, 3.5 Games Back

SS Ian Desmond was recently cited in Baseball America’s Best Tools survey voted upon by league managers as possessing the Best Infield Arm in both the Triple-A International League and Double-A Eastern League. For the season, Desmond is hitting a combined .318 with 21 doubles, three triples, six homers, 26 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 83 games with Syracuse and Harrisburg. He is batting at a .333 (44-for-132) clip with nine doubles, two triples, eight RBI, 16 walks and six stolen bases in 41 games since being promoted to Syracuse on July 16. In 42 contests with Harrisburg, he collected 52 hits, including 19 of the extra-base variety (12 doubles, one triple, six home runs). Desmond was the franchise’s 3rd-round pick in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft.

RHP Clint Everts fired 18.1 consecutive scoreless innings over 14 appearances with Syracuse and Harrisburg from July 12-August 24. For the season, Everts is a combined 8-1 with a 1.44 ERA and a 3.2/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (64 K/20 BB) in 39 games (56.1 innings) at the top three levels of Washington’s system. In six games with Syracuse, he is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA (2 ER/7.0 IP). In his first career action at the Double-A level, he went 3-1 with four saves and a 1.53 ERA (5 ER/29.2 IP) in 20 appearances with the Senators. Before joining Harrisburg on June 9, Everts went 3-0 with two saves and a 0.90 ERA (2 ER/20.0 IP) in 13 games with Potomac. The Cypress, TX native was the franchise’s first-round pick (5th overall) in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft.

LHP Ross Detwiler is 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA (2 ER/18.0 IP) in his last three starts. In eight Triple-A starts, Detwiler is 2-2 with a 2.97 ERA (13 ER/39.1 IP). He has struck out 34 and walked 14. Detwiler went 0-5 with a 6.40 ERA in 10 games at the Big League level with Washington before being optioned to Syracuse on July 12.

Double-A Harrisburg Senators

Eastern League Southern Division

62-66, 5th Place, 16.5 Games Back

RHP Drew Storen has fired scoreless ball in 8.0 innings of work and recorded a save in each of his six appearances since joining the Senators on August 11. Before reaching Double-A, Storen went 1-0 with two saves and a 1.80 ERA (2 ER/10.0 IP) in seven Carolina League games with Potomac. Prior to joining the P-Nats on July 19, he struck out 26 and did not walk a batter in 14.2 innings (11 games) with Single-A Hagerstown. Overall, the Stanford University product has fanned 43 and walked just seven in 32.2 combined innings (24 appearances) with Harrisburg, Potomac and Single-A Hagerstown.

21-year-old 1B Chris Marrero is hitting .393 (11-for-28) with four doubles, five RBI and six runs scored in his first eight games at the Double-A level. Marrero hit .287 (119-for-414) with 21 doubles, two triples, 16 homers, 65 RBI, 42 walks and 58 runs scored in 112 contests with Potomac. At the time of his promotion to Harrisburg, he ranked among the Carolina League leaders in hits (3rd), total bases (3rd, 192), home runs (5th), slugging percentage (5th, .464) and batting average (t-5th). Marrero was Washington’s first-round pick (15th overall) in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.

RHP Brad Meyers is a combined 9-2 with a 1.58 ERA in 21 games (20 starts) with Double-A Harrisburg and Single-A Potomac. He has allowed no more than one earned run in 17 of those contests. On Saturday at Portland (Red Sox), Meyers picked up his third win as a member of the Senators, tossing 7.0 innings of one-run ball. In six starts during his first career stint at the Double-A level, he is 3-0 with a 2.03 ERA (7 ER/31.0 IP). At the time of his promotion to Harrisburg on July 7, he was 6-2 with a Carolina League-leading 1.43 ERA (14 ER/88.1 IP) in 15 games (14 starts) with Potomac. He was selected in the 5th round of the 2007 Draft out of Loyola Marymount University (CA).

Single-A Potomac Nationals

Carolina League Northern Division

First Half: 37-30, 2nd Place, 3.0 Games Back

Second Half: 35-23, 2nd Place, 2.5 Games Back

After hitting just .219 (21-for-96) in 27 July contests, SS Danny Espinosa is batting .312 (24-for-77) in 23 games in August. Espinosa leads the Carolina League with 81 runs scored and ranks among the league leaders in walks (2nd, 68) and OBP (5th, .374). Espinosa entered the season as the Best Defensive Infielder among Nationals prospects according to Baseball America. He was selected in the 3rd round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of Long Beach State University (CA).

Single-A Hagerstown Suns

South Atlantic League Northern Division

First Half: 31-36, T-6th Place, 10.5 Games Back

Second Half: 18-36, 8th Place, 19.0 Games Back

C Derek Norris leads the South Atlantic League with 215 total bases and 79 walks. His 23 home runs and .410 OBP are both tied for the league lead with Lexington’s (Astros) Brian Pellegrini. The 20-year-old paces all catchers in professional baseball in homers and RBI (78). He has reached base safely via hit (119), walk (79) or HBP (8) 194 times in 117 games (1.76 times per contest). Norris was a 2009 SAL All-Star selection and he entered the season rated as the No. 6 prospect and top overall catching prospect in Washington’s system by Baseball America.

Short-Season Single-A Vermont Lake Monsters

New York-Penn League Stedler Division

29-34, 3rd Place, 7.0 Games Back

In 17 games as a pro, LHP Evan Bronson has allowed just three earned runs in 42.1 innings (0.64 ERA). He is a perfect 4-for-4 in save opportunities. Bronson, a 2009 NY-Penn League All-Star, has recorded 31 strikeouts against just two walks (15.5/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio). He has limited opponents to a .171 batting average against along the way. The southpaw has worked 2.0 or more innings of relief in 15 of his 17 appearances. Bronson was drafted by the Nationals in the 29th round of the 2009 Draft out of Trinity College (TX).

Gulf Coast League Nationals

Gulf Coast League East Division

33-17, 2nd Place, 1.5 Games Back

Including a 5.0-inning, two-run outing on August 25 at GCL Twins, LHP Daniel Rosenbaum has won four straight decisions. In 11 games (eight starts) overall, he is 4-1 with a 1.95 ERA and a 4.2/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (38 K/9 BB). Rosenbaum was a 22nd-round selection in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft.

The rosters were announced today for the Arizona Fall League (AFL), a league for each organization’s top prospects. Washington prospects will join farmhands from the Baltimore Orioles, Oakland Athletics, Tampa Rays and Toronto Blue Jays on the Desert Dogs roster. Additionally, Harrisburg Head Athletic Trainer Atsushi Toriida will serve as one of the trainers for the Desert Dogs. The AFL, regarded throughout professional baseball as the “finishing school” for Major League Baseball’s top prospects, begins its 18th season on Tuesday, October 13.

The No. 1 and No. 10 overall picks–Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen–highlight the Nationals’ prospects for the Phoenix Desert Dogs. It will give Storen and Strasburg an opportunity to form a bond that may appear at Nationals Park next year.

“I’m excited,” Storen said to mlb.com. “Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come for the future. It’ll be great to meet him and see him throw. I hope I’ll be able to close his games and hopefully it’ll be the first of many I get to do that.”

Catcher Derek Norris, shortstop Danny Espinosa and first baseman Chris Marrero will join them. Strasburg arrives in Florida at the end of the week to begin his pitching routine and should be set for the AFL. Storen continues to climb the Minor League ladder but GM Mike Rizzo has said he won’t be a September call-up.

“I want to keep building off what I’m doing now, making adjustments and getting better each outing,” Storen said. “I hope to put myself in position to help out the Nationals at a higher level next year.”

Storen: He has fired scoreless ball in 8.0 innings of work and recorded a save in each of his six appearances since joining the Senators on August 11. Before reaching Double-A, Storen went 1-0 with two saves and a 1.80 ERA (2 ER/10.0 IP) in seven Carolina League games with Potomac. Prior to joining the P-Nats on July 19, he struck out 26 and did not walk a batter in 14.2 innings (11 games) with Single-A Hagerstown. Overall, the Stanford University product has fanned 43 and walked just seven in 32.2 combined innings (24 appearances) with Harrisburg, Potomac and Single-A Hagerstown.

Norris: He leads the South Atlantic League with 215 total bases and 79 walks. His 23 home runs and .410 OBP are both tied for the league lead with Lexington’s (Astros) Brian Pellegrini. The 20-year-old paces all catchers in professional baseball in homers and RBI (78). He has reached base safely via hit (119), walk (79) or HBP (8) 194 times in 117 games (1.76 times per contest). Norris was a 2009 SAL All-Star selection and he entered the season rated as the No. 6 prospect and top overall catching prospect in Washington’s system by Baseball America.

Espinosa:After hitting just .219 (21-for-96) in 27 games during July, heis batting .312 (24-for-77) in 23 August contests. Espinosa leads the Carolina League with 81 runs scored and ranks among the league leaders in walks (2nd, 68) and OBP (5th, .374). Espinosa entered the season as the Best Defensive Infielder among Nationals prospects according to Baseball America. He was selected in the 3rd round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of Long Beach State University (CA).

Marrero: The 21-year-old is hitting .393 (11-for-28) with four doubles, five RBI and six runs scored in his first eight games at the Double-A level. Marrero hit .287 (119-for-414) with 21 doubles, two triples, 16 homers, 65 RBI, 42 walks and 58 runs scored in 112 contests with Potomac. At the time of his promotion to Harrisburg, he ranked among the Carolina League leaders in hits (3rd), total bases (3rd, 192), home runs (5th), slugging percentage (5th, .464) and batting average (t-5th). Marrero was Washington’s first-round pick (15th overall) in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.

– There are six teams in the Arizona Fall League: the Scottsdale Scorpions, Mesa Solar Sox, Peoria Saguaros, Phoenix Desert Dogs, Peoria Javelinas and Surprise Rafters. These club names were picked by Major League Baseball as reflective of the Southwestern desert traditions in the state.

– The teams are broken into two divisions, East and West. Each Major League Baseball team sends six top prospects to the Arizona Fall League, 180 players in all. The games are played in the Spring Training ballparks used by the Giants, Mariners, Padres, Cubs, A’s, Royals and Rangers.

– How good are the players in the Arizona Fall League? The 2006 All-Star Game in Pittsburgh featured 25 AFL alums, including first-time All-Stars David Wright, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.

– Each August, Major League clubs hold a position draft to determine the players who will go to Arizona. Most are Double-A and Triple-A Minor League players. Each club can opt to send one player considered a Class A player.

History of the League

The roots of the Arizona Fall League go back several years, when the Major Leagues wanted to create an easily accessed offseason league. A concern was that some of the best ballplayers left to play winter ball out of the country, such as in the Caribbean and there was no way to monitor them.

If Major League Baseball created a league that it could govern and monitor, it would be better organized. If a player was injured, proper care and treatment would be on-hand. With the Arizona Fall League, managers, coaches, scouts and league officials could participate.

“That was the beauty of this,” says Steve Cobb, AFL executive vice president, “and that seemed to be one of the unifying factors for all the clubs. They created a Fall League where all of their personnel would be involved, with reduced travel and immediate accessibility on the part of scouting.”

Down on the Farm is a weekly window into the Nationals farm teams, with updated standings, league leaders, team and individual player stats, and the latest team and player news.

This Week’s Top Headline

RHP Brad Meyers is a combined 8-2 with a 1.60 ERA in 20 games (19 starts) with Double-A Harrisburg and Single-A Potomac. He has allowed no more than one earned run in 16 of those contests and on Sunday vs. Trenton (Yankees), Meyers picked up his second win as a Senator, tossing 7.0 innings of one-run ball. In five starts during his first career stint at the Double-A level, he is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA (6 ER/24.0 IP). At the time of his promotion to Harrisburg on July 7, he was 6-2 with a Carolina League-leading 1.43 ERA (14 ER/88.1 IP) in 15 games (14 starts) with Potomac. He was selected in the 5th round of the 2007 Draft out of Loyola Marymount University (CA).

Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs

International League North Division

65-56, 2nd Place, 3.5 Games Back

Clint Everts has offered scoreless relief in each of his four appearances (3.0 innings) with Syracuse since his promotion from Harrisburg last Wednesday. Everts is a combined 7-1 with a 1.20 ERA and a 3.8/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (61 K/18 BB) in 37 appearances (52.1 innings) with Harrisburg and Potomac. In his first career action at the Double-A level, he went 3-1 with four saves and a 1.53 ERA (5 ER/29.2 IP) in 20 appearances with the Senators. Before joining Harrisburg on June 9, Everts went 3-0 with two saves and a 0.90 ERA (2 ER/20.0 IP) in 13 appearances with Potomac. The Cypress, TX native was Montreal’s first-round pick (5th overall) in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft.

RHP Josh Wilkie, who played collegiately at nearby George Washington University,is a combined 7-2 with a 2.19 ERA in 44 games with Syracuse and Harrisburg…the 25-year-old began the season with Harrisburg, where he went 5-2 with a 2.37 ERA (13 ER/49.1 IP) in 34 games. In 10 appearances with Syracuse, he is 2-0 with one save, a 1.46 ERA (2 ER/12.1 IP) and a .167 (7-for-42) batting average against. He has pitched scoreless relief in 9 of his 10 games. Wilkie signed with the club as a non-drafted free agent on June 14, 2006.

In 18 appearances since joining Syracuse on July 7, RHP Zack Segovia has allowed four earned runs in 18.0 innings (2.00 ERA). He owns a .175 (11-for-63) batting average against with the Chiefs. The 26-year-old began the season with Harrisburg, where he appeared in 24 games (3 starts) as a Senator. Segovia signed with Washington as a Minor League free agent on June 18, 2008 and was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2nd round of the 2002 Draft.

LHP Ross Detwiler fired 6.0 scoreless frames of five-hit ball to earn his first win at the Triple-A level, Friday vs. Rochester (Twins). He did not walk a batter and struck out five. In six Triple-A starts or 27.1 innings pitched, he has 27 strikeouts against just 11 walks. The southpaw is scheduled to make his next start, tonight vs. Buffalo (Mets). Detwiler went 0-5 with a 6.40 ERA in 10 games at the Major League level with Washington before being optioned to Syracuse on July 12.

Double-A Harrisburg Senators

Eastern League Southern Division

57-63, 5th Place, 17.0 Games Back

RHP Drew Storen, Washington’s 2nd selection in the first round (10th overall) of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, has fired scoreless ball in 4.0 innings (3 appearances) since joining the Senators on August 11. Before reaching Double-A, Storen went 1-0 with two saves and a 1.80 ERA (2 ER/10.0 IP) in seven Carolina League games with Potomac. Prior to joining the P-Nats on July 19, he struck out 26 and did not walk a batter in 14.2 innings (11 games) with Single-A Hagerstown. Overall, the Stanford University product has fanned 40 and walked just three in 28.2 combined innings (22 appearances) with Harrisburg, Potomac and Hagerstown.

21-year-old 1B Chris Marrero was promoted from Potomac to Harrisburg on Monday. Marrero hit .287 (119-for-414) with 21 doubles, two triples, 16 homers, 65 RBI, 42 walks and 58 runs scored in 112 games with the P-Nats. At the time of his promotion, he ranked among the Carolina League leaders in hits (3rd), total bases (3rd, 192), home runs (5th), slugging percentage (5th, .464) and batting average (t-5th). Marrero was Washington’s first-round pick (15th overall) in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.

RHP Jeff Mandel is 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA (6 ER/28.0 IP) in four starts with Harrisburg. Mandel went 8-4 with a 3.61 ERA (40 ER/99.2 IP) in 17 starting assignments with Potomac before garnering a July 20th promotion to Double-A. For the season, he is a combined 11-4 with a 3.24 ERA in 21 starts with the Senators and P-Nats. His 11 wins are tied with fellow Senator Erik Arnesen for tops among Washington Minor Leaguers. Mandel was a 19th-round selection in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. He is scheduled to make his next start, tomorrow at Binghamton.

Single-A Potomac Nationals

Carolina League Northern Division

First Half: 37-30, 2nd Place, 3.0 Games Back

Second Half: 31-20, 2nd Place, 0.5 Game Back

LHP Tom Milone has won each of his last five decisions, including his last four starts. In those four starts, the 22-year-old has allowed just two earned runs in 26.1 innings (0.68 ERA). Milone, a product of the University of Southern California baseball program, is 9-4 with a 3.13 ERA in 23 games (21 starts) overall. He was selected in the 10th round of the 2008 Draft.

The P-Nats lead the Carolina League with 100 home runs and 168 stolen bases. Potomac paces Washington Minor League affiliates in runs scored (562), homers, walks (440) and steals.

Single-A Hagerstown Suns

South Atlantic League Northern Division

First Half: 31-36, T-6th Place, 10.5 Games Back

Second Half: 16-32, 8th Place, 15.0 Games Back

C Derek Norris leads the South Atlantic League in home runs (23), total bases (209) and walks (72). The 20-year-old paces all catchers in professional baseball in homers and RBI (76). The right-handed hitting slugger has reached base safely via hit (114), walk (72) or HBP (8) 194 times in 111 games (1.74 times per contest). Norris was a 2009 SAL All-Star selection and he entered the season rated as the No. 6 prospect and top overall catching prospect in Washington’s system by Baseball America.

RHP Juan Jaime is a combined 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA and a .159 batting average against in 10 games (eight starts) with Hagerstown and Short-Season Single-A Vermont. He has struck out 53 in 39.0 innings, an average of 12.23 strikeouts per 9.0 innings. Since joining Hagerstown on July 22, Jaime is 2-0 with a 2.40 ERA (4 ER/15.0 IP) in four games (three starts). He went 2-1 with a 1.88 ERA (5 ER/24.0 IP) in six games (5 starts) with Vermont.

2B Stephen Lombardozzi paces the South Atlantic League with 82 runs scored, and is tied for second in hits with 128. In 111 games overall, the 20-year-old is hitting .295 with 24 doubles, six triples, three homers and 48 RBI. Lombardozzi was a 19th-round pick in the 2008 Draft out of St. Petersburg JC (FL).

Short-Season Single-A Vermont Lake Monsters

New York-Penn League Stedler Division

26-30, 3rd Place, 5.0 Games Back

LHP Evan Bronson has gone 2-0 with two saves and a 0.72 ERA in 15 games as a pro. He has worked 2.0 or more innings of relief in 13 of those 15 appearances. Bronson, a 2009 NY-Penn League All-Star, has 24 strikeouts against just one walk in 37.1 innings of work. He has limited opponents to a .170 batting average against along the way. Bronson was drafted by the Nationals in the 29th round of the 2009 Draft.

Gulf Coast League Nationals

Gulf Coast League East Division

27-17, 2nd Place, 3.5 Games Back

Including a 5.0-inning, one-run outing yesterday at the GCL Cardinals, LHP Daniel Rosenbaum has won three straight decisions. In 10 games (seven starts) overall, he is 3-1 with a 1.97 ERA and a 4.5/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (32 K/7 BB). Rosenbaum was a 22nd-round selection in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft.

Down on the Farm is a weekly window into the Nationals farm teams, with updated standings, league leaders, team and individual player stats, and the latest team and player news. This week, we feature the best pitcher and player of the month from each organization.

This Week’s Top Headline

21-year-old 1B Chris Marrero leads the Single-A Carolina League with 112 hits, and ranks among the league leaders in slugging, OPS, batting average, total bases, home runs, on-base percentage and RBI. In 28 July games with Potomac, he hit .354 (34-for-96) with seven doubles, one triple, five homers, 17 RBI and 14 walks, which equates to .453 and .604 on-base and slugging percentages, respectively. Marrero was Washington’s first round pick (15th overall) in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.

Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs

International League North Division

57-51, 2nd Place, 4.0 Games Back

SS Ian Desmond is batting a combined .305 with 16 doubles, one triple, six homers, 22 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 62 games with Syracuse and Double-A Harrisburg. He is 20-for-66 (.303) with four doubles, four RBI, 11 walks and four stolen bases in 20 games since being promoted to Syracuse, July 16. In 42 games with Harrisburg, he collected 52 hits including 19 of the extra-base variety (12 doubles, one triple and six home runs). Desmond was Washington’s third-round pick in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft.

In 12 appearances since joining Syracuse, July 7, RHP Zack Segovia has allowed one earned run in 13.0 innings (0.69 ERA). He owns a .174 (8-for-46) batting average against and a 3.5/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (14K/4 BB) with the Chiefs. The 26-year-old began the season with Harrisburg, where he appeared in 24 games (three starts). Segovia signed with Washington as a minor-league free agent on June 18, 2008. He was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the second round of the 2002 Draft.

RHP Clint Everts is a combined 6-1 with a 1.31 ERA and a 3.8/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (54 K/14 BB) in 31 appearances (48.0 innings) with Harrisburg and Potomac. Since joining the Senators on June 9, he is 3-1 with three saves and a 1.61 ERA (5 ER/28.0 IP) in 18 games. Prior to his promotion, Everts went 3-0 with two saves and a 0.90 ERA in 13 appearances with Potomac. The Cypress, TX native was Montreal’s first-round pick (fifth overall) in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft.

RHP Jeff Mandel is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA (4 ER/14.0 IP) in two starts with Harrisburg. He went 8-4 with a 3.61 ERA (40 ER/99.2 IP) in 17 starts with Potomac before earning a July 20 promotion to Double-A. For the season, he is a combined 10-4 with a 3.48 ERA in 19 starts with the Senators and P-Nats. His 10 wins are tied with fellow Senator Erik Arnesen for tops among Washington minor leaguers. Mandel was a 19th-round selection in the ’07 First-Year Player Draft. He is scheduled to make his next start, Friday at Trenton (Yankees).

C Sean Rooney is hitting .341 (14-for-41) with two doubles, three RBI and seven runs scored in 13 games as a Senator. The 23-year-old joined Harrisburg on July 16 from Potomac, where he batted .300 (65-for-217) with 18 doubles, six home runs and 40 RBI in 60 games. In a combined 55 games at catcher with Harrisburg and Potomac, he has gunned down 25 of 59 (42%) would-be basestealers. Rooney, a 2008 Single-A South Atlantic League All-Star, was drafted in the eighth round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.

RHP Clint Everts – went 3-0 with one save and a 1.17 ERA (2 ER/15.1 IP) in 9 appearances.

Single-A Potomac Nationals

Carolina League Northern Division

First Half: 37-30, 2nd Place, 3.0 Games Back

Second Half: 25-13, First Place, 1.5 Games Ahead

RHP Drew Storen, Washington’s second selection in the first round (10th overall) of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, has 36 strikeouts and only one walk in a combined 22.2 innings (16 appearances) with Potomac and Single-A Hagerstown. The Stanford University product has fanned 25, walked one and posted a .063 (3-for-47) batting average against in his last 10 games (14.2 innings) between Potomac and Hagerstown. Prior to joining the P-Nats on July 19, he struck out 26 and did not walk a batter in 14.2 innings (11 games) with the Suns.

For thethird consecutive week, a Potomac National has earned MiLB.com Single-A Carolina League Player of the Week honors. OF Jesus Valdez follows 1B Chris Marrero (July 13-19) and INF/OF Dan Nelson (July 20-26) as the CL POTW. Valdez posted five multi-hit games, going 13-for-23 (.565) with five doubles, three RBI and six runs scored during the week of July 27-August 2 to garner the selection. He is hitting .312 with 13 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 30 RBI and 34 runs scored in 57 games with the P-Nats.

RHP Trevor Holder, Washington’s third-round pick in this June’s Draft, hurled 5.0 innings of one-run ball to earn the win in his Carolina League debut, Friday vs. Winston-Salem (White Sox). The 22-year-old, who played collegiately at the University of Georgia, is a combined 3-0 with a 3.52 ERA in six starts with the Potomac, Hagerstown and GCL Nationals.

Organizational Player and Pitcher of the Month – July

OF Francisco Plasencia – hit at a .330 (31-for-94) clip with 4 home runs, 22 RBI and 16 runs scored in 25 games.

Derek Norris continues to dominate the South Atlantic League, leading the league in home runs, total bases, walks and OBP. The 20-year-old paces all catchers in professional baseball in homers and RBI. Norris ranks among full-season minor league leaders in home runs and slugging percentage. The right-handed hitting slugger has posted a team-best 33 multi-hit games. He has reached base safely via hit, walk or HBP 178 times in 100 games (1.78 times per contest). Per Baseball America, he entered the season rated as the No. 6 prospect and top overall catching prospect in Washington’s system.

2B Stephen Lombardozzi paces the South Atlantic League with 75 runs scored, and ranks second in hits with 115. In 99 games overall, the 20-year-old is hitting .299 with 20 doubles, six triples, three homers and 44 RBI. Lombardozzi was a 19th-round pick in the 2008 Draft out of St. Petersburg JC (FL).

After being drafted by Washington in the 29th round of the 2009 Draft, LHP Evan Bronson has gone 2-0 with two saves and a 1.00 ERA in his first 11 games as a pro. He has limited opponents to a .182 (18-for-99) batting average against. The southpaw has 18 strikeouts against just one walk in 27.0 innings of work. Bronson played collegiately at Trinity College (TX).

INF Francisco Soriano has hit safely in a team-high nine straight games, going 13-for-35 (.371) during the tear. His .418 OBP is tied for second in the league, while his 14 stolen bases rank fifth. Soriano signed with Washington as a non-drafted free agent, July 5, 2007.

OF Eury Perez is hitting .337 with one double, two triples, one home run, 12 RBI and 12 walks in 26 games. He has recorded a team-high 12 stolen bases. Perez, 19, ranks fourth in the GCL with a .419 OBP. He signed with Washington as an international free agent, April 13, 2007.

1B Brett Newsome leads the GCL in walks, slugging and OPS. Nineteen of his 32 hits have been of the extra-base variety (12 doubles, three triples, four homers). In 27 games overall, he is hitting .305 with 21 RBI and 21 runs scored.

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